After GOP pullout, national Dems cancel Wall ads

Oct. 13, 2012

8th Congressional candidate Jamie Wall.

Written by

Maria Amante

Green Bay Press-Gazette

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee will not make any additional advertising purchases on behalf of newcomer Jamie Wall’s congressional campaign.

Wall, a businessman from Green Bay, is challenging U.S. Rep. Reid Ribble, R-Sherwood, a freshman congressman for the 8th District. The National Republican Congressional Committee made a similar move last week.

The NRCC canceled two weeks of planned ads on behalf of Ribble in what Andrea Boszek, a spokeswoman for the political committee, said was a vote of confidence for Ribble’s chances of victory.

But the DCCC on Friday said the same thing, noting that Wall is in a “strong position” to defeat Ribble in the Nov. 6 election.

“This race will be tight,” said Chris Kelly, Wall’s spokesman in an email. “With almost 3,000 individual donors, we will have the resources we need to tell voters the truth about Congressman Ribble’s record.”

The Ribble campaign declined to comment.

It’s likely the NRCC sees an advantage in this race and does not want to spend their scarce resources in a seat they could easily win, said Charley Jacobs, political science professor at St. Norbert College in De Pere..

“When you see a national campaign committee (pulling out), it generally means somebody’s an easy winner, or somebody is an obvious loser,” Jacobs said. “ You want to place money in races where it’s gonna make a difference. ”

But the DCCC says their adjustments came after knowledge that the NRCC was canceling their commitments, noting that officials remain confident in a Wall victory.

According to the website Open Secrets, Ribble has raised more than $1.6 million, and Wall has raised more than $711,000. Ribble has more than $875,000 on hand; Wall has more than $506,000 in his campaign coffers.

Wall is “well positioned and running a strong campaign,” said Haley Morris, DCCC spokeswoman. “He has the resources to show voters he’s the only candidate in the race who can end political gamesmanship in D.C., protect medicare and stand up for the middle class.”

The DCCC says Wall has kept up with Ribble’s fundraising and has grassroots momentum on his side.